On July 18, 2012, the Leaders of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Secular Student Alliance, along with student leaders of other campus groups, criticized a remark made last week by KFAB radio talk-show host Scott Voorhees. Scott Voorhees (On air: 9-11 a.m. Telephone: 402-558-1110 / 800-543-1110; e-mail: scott@kfab.com) a member of the Omaha, Nebraska Tea Party has frequently been lauded as “standing up for democracy”. At the same time, all anti-Tea Party actions are labeled as conspiracies.

Records show that the Tea Party has never stood “up for democracy”.

State Rep. Virgel Peck (R-KS)

Kansas State Representative Virgil Peck (R-Tyro) has suggested shooting “illegal immigrants like feral swine” (read here and here). He is funded by the Koch Brothers through Americans For Prosperity, and has severe issues with Latinos “and other illegal aliens”.

The Tea-Party-controlled Utah legislature passed HB

Rep. Brad J. Galvez (R-District 6)

3117 legislation requiring the state to recognize gold and silver as legal tender in defiance of the US Constitution, introduced by Representative Brad Galvez (R-District 6). Interestingly, there is an official cut-off, as all gold and silver had to be minted no later than 1965. “The Utah Specie Tender Act of 2011” or “The Sound Money Act,” passed by the Utah legislature recognizes that the U.S. Constitution says no state shall make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts. It also notes that Congress granted an “exclusive franchise to the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank, acting as the central bank of the nation, to issue Federal Reserve Notes as legal tender of the United States.” The time it took to debate the Tea Party sponsored issue and pass the legislation cost Utah taxpayers dearly.

Tea Party Joe Read MT legislator (2012)

In Montana, First-term Tea Party Representative Joe Read (R-Ronan), introduced House Bill 549 declaring global warming “beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana”. In Georgia, the Tea Party Representative Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta) representing the 43rd District, introduced legislation (SB 315) to abolish driver’s licenses because licensing violates the “inalienable right” to drive (it is nowhere in the Constitution).

Hal Wick (R-Sioux Falls)

Legislation proposed in South Dakota by Rep. Hal Wick (R-Sioux Falls) would require every adult to buy a gun (HB 1237), and Tea Party State Rep. Phil Jensen (R-District 33) wants to pass legislation (HB 1171) that would call any destruction of fertilized ova justifiable homicide if a killer is trying to stop harm to a fetus whom the Tea Party prefers to call an “unborn child” at the point of conception, even though it has no heart, brain, or other noticeable part that could be considered human. The Tea Party in South Dakota also wants to ban Sharia Law even though South Dakota has but a handful of Muslims (0.3% or 2,088 people) out of 696,004 people.

Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) made a broadside attack on the right to meet, open speech, and curb the unions that made the state strong and progressive. An attempt was made to impeach Walker, but it failed as the Koch Brothers and other billionaires poured millions of dollars into his war chest to fend off the recall effort. In exchange for the “assistance” he promised to cut concessions to unions.

Jan Brewer’s racism even has surpassed that of Alabama’s George Wallace and Mississippi’s governors who attended KKK rallies and lynchings, and is nearly equaled to the bumbling of Terry Branstad (R-IA) whose son, Eric, killed two people and never faced state punishment. Even California has its share of anti-democracy, anti-immigration, and anti-education Tea Party activists.

Scott Voorhees speaking to Tea Party (May 11, 2011)

Little is said by the staid and ossified media controlling and disseminating misinformation in Nebraska about Scott Voorhees womanizing, street vulgarity or masquerading as one seeking truth as he is limited in his quest to pursue the conduct of inquiry from any academic perspective. Nebraska’s tie to the KKK was strongest in the 1920s and 1930s, but remains a force to this day, cloaking their robes under flags (read here and here and here and here for a state-by-state breakdown).

KKK ceremony in Lincoln, NE in 1923 (Photo: Art Kuhr)

Nebraska and Iowa are two states with the fastest growing number of KKK and Neo-Nazi groups with Mississippi second to Iowa (with the KKK visiting Postville in full robes will police watch without moving) and closing in on Nebraska. Iowa, with a population of 3 million, has a dozen Klan groups with headquarters in Boone, Iowa–where the number of Klansmen is estimated to be over 4,000. It is estimated that the KKK does thousands of dollars worth of damage and bodily assaults every year, even at state universities.

Mississippi, with a population of 2.9 million, has nine Klan groups, all active destroying private property of Jews, Blacks, LGBT citizens, and businesses that cater to them. The KKK is believed to be behind numerous unsolved murders, and has a training ground for recruits who come from midwestern states, especially from Nebraska and Iowa. Mississippi is tied with Louisiana, which has 4.4 million with the majority being religious fundamentalists/evangelical extremists as with Bob Vander Plaats of Iowa, the leader of an organized hate group known as The FAMiLY (a state affiliate of and funded by the American Family Association a certified hate group), selling and spelling hate daily that is the spiritual home of Iowa’s neo-Nazis and KKK who basically control the state government.

Darling to Iowa’s Nazis and KKK: Bob Vander Platts, funded by the American Family Association (a recognized and certified hate group) 2012

These preposterous and undemocratic bills and laws have been fought by many, but the strongest opponents are students in public schools and university. Among the least likely place to find defenders of freedom is in the Midwest, especially in Nebraska that hung black people and maintained cauldrons of the Khristian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan taking aim against Blacks, Jews, non-believers, and gays.

Rationalists, Empiricists and Skeptics of Nebraska

The UNO Secular Student Alliance is a democratic society of scholars dedicated to organizing, uniting, educating, and serving students that have an interest in a secular, non-theist philosophy while promoting the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics.

Luke Hoffman invited to speak

Speaking to the Omaha Tea Party, calling them “fellow racists, extremists” (watch here), Scott Voorhees regularly, menacingly mocks people who are on food stamps, who had no electrical power in their home (May 7, 2011) or depend on charity to sustain life. He has done this often, especially when guns and the NRA are involved or when called upon by the Nebraska Tea Party to celebrate hate and stand against “entitlement mentality.”

Voorhees is typical of the Tea Party and its founder Judson Philips. Closely identical to numerous people who claim scholarship and have none, Voorhees is similar to Texas pseudo-historian David Barton (founder of the fanatical fundamentalist fraternity known as WallBuilder–a group that rewrites history to give USA history a conservative Christian twist). Neither holds formal credentials in history or law, and scholars dispute the accuracy and integrity of Barton’s assertions about history. Most historians whose publications have been peer-reviewed, none of Barton’s tomes have had critical academic scrutiny, have disavowed Barton and deny recognition of his writings except when discussing what inaccurate historical essays look like. Barton’s prevarications are little more than the mincing of Voorhees that his radio station exempts, claiming “freedom of speech”. Barton is, at best, a fraud in the judgment of his peers (read here and here; cp with former Senator Arlen Spector (R-PA)’s article: read Specter, Arlen (Spring 1995). “Defending the wall: Maintaining church/state separation in America”. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy 18 (2): 575–590; and, Eckholm, Erik (May 4, 2011). “Using History to Mold Ideas on the Right”. New York Times). Voorhees, Barton, and others of the same ilk all claiming a divine understanding: from Mike Huckabee (he has a bachelor degree from Ouachita Baptist University in religion, has no formal religious education dropping out of seminary after one year to become a Christian broadcaster) and Marion Gordon (Pat) Robertson who graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in history– and like George W. Bush had his powerful father (a US Senator) pull strings to keep him out of active military service (“Robertson’s libel suit by judge ex-congressman ruled the legal victor”. Philadelphia Daily News: p. 14. March 7, 1988) after which Robertson took a bachelor of laws from Yale—and failed the bar exam; he earned an initial degree in religion but without distinction. All others, to whom they attach their political ambitions have had scant training in history or theology, and are woefully ignorant about US history as is Barton (video). None has had hermeneutics training or any biblical language study for translation, interpretation, or encryption.

The ignorance of what has happened and continues to happen in the USA is seen in the addresses and responses of Tea Party co-founder Sol Russo (watch here). The Tea Party’s cause is quasi-silently supported by the administration of the University of Nebraska at Omaha as the university has connections with the station, and maintains the ties despite students calling on UNO officials to pressure KFAB for an apology and a retraction for Voorhees sexist remarks about atheist women.

Voorhees called atheist women “easy”, during one interview, implying that atheist women are, in Rush Limbaugh’s words, “sluts.” The President of University of Nebraska at Omaha said nothing. There was no remonstrance, no demand for an apology, no denunciation of Voorhees, preferring to wash his hands of the matter similar to Pontius Pilot (Matthew 27:24).

The problem lies with the President of UNO and his advisors who are tightly controlled by the media and the legislature. The remark under fire was made by Voorhees on July 10 on KFAB Radio 1110, in response to being informed by show guest Luke Hoffman of the UNO Secular Student Alliance that the UNO CRU Christian group had cooperated with the secular student group to put on a debate last semester.

UNO Secular Student Alliance member

Hearing Hoffman’s fact, Voorhees declamatorily declared: “You know why the Christian kids [sic] helped you out in your debate? Because atheist chicks are easy. And a lot of them are Goth and hot.” Hear the broadcast here. The remark in question starts at the 14:16 mark.

According to Voorhees MySpace page, Voorhees bills himself as a “Christian – Other”. The “other” is evangelical extremist, more on keeping with the NAR than any mainstream thought, and cuddles close to the satanist sentences of Scott Lively of California who is a trenchant advocate for guns arguing with the NAR that Jesus will ride out of heaven (ignoring the laws of gravity) brandishing a sword to separate families and slaughter unbelievers (Matthew 10:34).

Jesus rides a white horse out of the heavens, carrying a sword (Matthew 10:34)

This myth can be traced back to Beowulf and even the legend of Muhammad’s second coming. As with Christianity, ancient Judaism, the various religions found in India and throughout Europe, there is no mention of forgiveness, understanding, peace, or love. The ultimate “anointed one” (the true definition of Christ) is not a peaceful sovereign, but an absolute tyrant who will destroy the earth to save his chosen few. The same is prophesied for Muhammad and his Final Battle that would have more carnage and death than all of the Prophet’s many wars against Arab cities that did not bow down to him as he marched across the sands after erasing the ancient city of Yathrib and renaming it Medina.

Muhammad riding horse with a sword in his hand accompanied by the archangel Gabriel (8th century Qu’ran–before the prohibition on illustrating the Prophet carried with it the penalty of death)

It fits nicely with the New Apostolic Reformation and theological terrorism worldwide.

Evangelicals like Lively and Voorhees are the first to cast stone, the last to see the mote in his own eye as he condemns or solicits those he opposes as if he were Ananias bar Annas High Priest of the Temple and a murderer.

Voorhees own education is limited. Voorhees took a high school diploma (without distinction) from Ralston High School (NE) in 1995, He was awarded a BA in journalism / mass communication from a small satellite school of the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2003, although he attended from 1995-1998. His work career was equally mundane.

Before becoming a radio personality, Voorhees worked at Vanbros and Associates in Overland Park, KS. Vanbros specializes in “talent management”–especially of beautiful girls in beauty contests. It bills itself as a firm that are “Producers of Miss USA® and Miss Teen USA ® for the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma” (see here).

According to those who remembered Voorhees (but asked not to be identified by name), Voorhees was “always hot and after sexy chicks” as “being horny as a rabbit”. It has been said that Voorhees claimed that was “god’s purpose in creating man” to have sex with as many women as possible.

Voorhees off-colored and totally inappropriate remark is within Voorhees character that has a shallow definition of and low esteem for women. Voorhees remarks are as odious as the political opportunists Todd Akin (R-MO, now running for US Senate), Tom Smith (R-PA, now running for US Senate), and Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) who argue against penalties for “legitimate rape”; Steven King (R-IA), Annette Sweeney (R-IA), and others who argues for dog fighting and opposes any law regulating cruelty to animals (read here and here). Following the remark that was made on air about “atheist chicks”, some callers to the talk show criticized the host. Voorhees made no apology. Since a recording of the show was posted online, other individuals have publicized the incident on the Internet.

Voorhees, like most Tea Party cult members, believes the role of a woman is to have sex at the demand of the male and produce babies while staying “hot” in appearance. His understanding of anything in the Bible (that no one saw him read) is marginal at best, and as there is no reference, anywhere, that women are to be treated as sex objects in the New Testament, although there function was to bear the burden in the Old (Genesis 1:28) in careless and corrupt contemporary translations that are more titillating than thought-provoking (the mathematical term “multiply” does not appear before the fourteenth century CE; before that time it meant to “increase in comprehension or wisdom”). Although, like most theological thugs, thieves and liars, Voorhees thinks that women should be silent as the writers of the Letters of Paul put forward (1 Corinthians 14:33-35; this, too, is a corruption of the original that stated “prayerful” and “not to sing”) in their destruction of original Christianity in an effort to elevate Paulinity and support the Imperial directives of the Emperor Constantine. The Emperor was hardly a “Christian.” In 325, Constantine [real name Custennyn / Custennin] ordered the arrest of all cult leaders of major cults and their forcible attendance at Nicaea in order to form a new official religion—assisted and coordinated with Eusebius of Caesarea-the first Patriarch of Christianity (as Alexander).to silence dissent and to create a novel codex for the various groups of christianos and chrestianos. Original Christianity was slaughtered at the altar of expediency to opt for the bastardized version of Paulinity).

Constantine died in 337 near the city of Helenopolis (Altinova), on the southern shores of the Gulf of İzmit in preparation for a further campaign against the Sassanids. His death is clouded in mystery as it is claimed by the Vatican he died of sickness and invented the myth that Constantine in his final moments converted to his version of Christianity (Constantine I created the “catholic [universal] church” in 325 CE as a political move to ensure stability of the empire and ordered the burning of all books and tracts (Sozomen, Historia Ecclesia, Book 1, ch.21; the original is in Greek and Latin) that did not support his concept of what he called Christianity (Constantine proclaims Jesus to be a god only in 312 CE), and rejects objections (Eusebius, Vita Constantini, Book III, ch.6ff; original is in Greek).

The Roman Senate proclaimed the dead emperor a god. What makes the official Roman Catholic account more suspect, is the simultaneous death of his Patriarch Eusebius that solidifies the extant claim of Sassanid “Assassins” as probably more accurate. This rewriting of history and falsification of data laden with aspersions is the mainstay of such frauds as David Barton, Rush Limbaugh, and Voorhees.

Hoffman attempted to go through university channels to have the matter addressed internally. This proved futile.

After a week, with no commitment from the university that was under tight control of conservative Christians who refused to respond, Hoffman, on behalf of students and public outraged by the remark, emailed letters to the president of the University of Nebraska as well as the radio station. He made the content of those letters available to the media. The text appears below.

My name is Luke Hoffman. I am the immediate past president of the
University of Nebraska at Omaha Secular Student Alliance. During a
radio interview July 10 with your talk show host Scott Voorhees,
Voorhees made a comment that I challenged on the spot and wish to
follow up on now. In reaction to the fact that a Christian club on
campus had networked with the UNO Secular Student Alliance to put on a civil debate, Voorhees went so far as to say, “You know why the
Christian kids helped you out in your debate? Because atheist chicks
are easy. And a lot of them are Goth and hot.” (You can listen to this
remark at http://bit.ly/NmcGaG starting at the 14:16 mark.)

In addition to this being another example of what has been termed the
“war on women,” it also impugns the motives of the Christian group,
suggesting that their cooperation was insincere. I called this sexist
remark disgusting at the time (after which I was immediately
disconnected) and, in response to numerous calls for further response,
wish to readdress the matter now.

The reason that Voorhees was discussing this matter in the first place
was because of the forthcoming Midwest Freethought Conference and the Omaha Coalition of Reason billboard on 72nd and Pacific here in the
city. This is the fourth Midwest Freethought Conference and, as such,
it contributes to Omaha’s economic development.

But instead of discussing this unique community event, Voorhees chose
to be dismissive while dehumanizing atheist women. Moreover, when
listeners called in to express their legitimate outrage at his comments, he ridiculed them for lacking a sense of humor. But isn’t that the usual cover for bigoted remarks against minority groups? How many times have people tried to excuse racism, anti-Semitism, and sexism under the cover of humor? Radio announcer Don Imus tried this in 2007 with his “joke” about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team and was fired as a result.

In the popular atheist blog “The Friendly Atheist,” Hemant Mehta
describes the interaction as “frustrating all around, and that was
even before he made his most inflammatory comment.” Voorhees’
misplaced hostility toward people with differing views was, I think,
demonstrated by his offensive remarks as well as his apparent
unwillingness to really listen to his guests on that occasion.

The membership of the UNO SSA and I, therefore, request that KFAB
repudiate Voorhees’ remarks against atheist women and that he
personally apologize.

As has already been brought to your attention by others, during a
radio interview of me on July 10 on KFAB Radio 1110 by talk-show host
Scott Voorhees, Voorhees made a comment that I challenged on the spot.

It was in reaction to the fact that the University of Nebraska at
Omaha CRU Christian group had networked with my group, the UNO Secular Student Alliance, last semester to put on a highly regarded debate. Voorhees declared, “You know why the Christian kids helped you out in your debate? Because atheist chicks are easy. And a lot of them are Goth and hot.” (You can listen to this remark at http://bit.ly/NmcGaG starting at the 14:16 mark.)

In addition to this being another example of the right-wing war on
women, it also impugns the motives of the campus Christian group,
suggesting that their cooperation was insincere. I called this sexist
remark disgusting at the time (after which I was immediately
disconnected). Now, in response to numerous requests for further
action, I wish to readdress the matter.

Reasonable people might have expected the UNO administration to act
swiftly and decisively in criticizing this remark against legitimate
UNO campus groups—especially after I brought it to the
administration’s attention last week. And not merely because the
remark attacked UNO students, both Atheist and Christian, but because
that broadcast also challenged UNO’s institutional reputation. After
all, Director of University Relations Tim Kaldahl appeared on the same
show and had to put up with attacks against UNO for hosting the fourth
annual Midwest Freethought Conference. Voorhees openly questioned
whether the university was still worthy of public support. And KFAB
pays UNO for rights to use the “N” logo and to broadcast Nebraska
football. The station calls itself “the Home of the Huskers,” which is
the UNO team. (For reference, KFAB is listed on the University website
as the Omaha affiliate for Nebraska football at:http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=52 and,
on the KFAB website, the “N” logo is displayed on the homepage and at:http://www.kfab.com/pages/Huskers.html .)

In an effort to resolve this internally, I talked with Tim Kaldahl,
spoke with Charlene Russel in the campus Equal Access and Diversity
office, communicated with Nancy in the Chancellors office, and sent an
email directly to the chancellor. I have also discussed the matter
with other student leaders on campus.

Adam Maley, immediate past president of the UNO Veterans Student
Organization, said: “This radio personality challenges a socially
unpopular category of people and, rather than discuss the issues, uses
prejudicial and disgusting stereotypes to distract.”

UNO Council for Humanist Thought President John Powers said: “Scott
Voorhees…clearly does not understand the issues of the growing local
secular community and the struggles of living an atheist or agnostic
life.”

Haili Copas-Starke, immediate past director for the Women’s Resource
Center, another student-run organization at UNO, showed her support
for the UNO SSA by saying, “Religion is a good background to formulate
your morals but it’s not the only method, and society allows for you
to do that without the guidance of religion.”

The UNO SSA provides valuable support for nontheistic UNO students, as Nicole Miller, the current UNO SSA president, noted when she said:
“The Secular Student Alliance has helped me grow on a personal level,
where I’ve made lifelong friends, have become more open to talk about
the issues. Especially family problems with coming out as atheist. I
feel like I’m making a difference in my community.”

In the wake of this reaction, I must ask why the UNO administration
has so far declined comment on an affiliated radio station’s slur that
is prejudicial to UNO students and the university itself—and this in
the face of a reaction across the Internet. (Just Google the phrase
“atheist chicks are easy” and see the online response, which is now in
the thousands of hits when, at the time of the broadcast last week, it
only garnered two.)

As an atheist, my moral compass compels me to stand up to Voorhees’
dehumanizing remark. Is it too much to ask UNO’s administration to
reconsider this opportunity to do the same? Radio KFAB [a member of Clear Channel: http://www.kfab.com/pages/voorhees.html] and need to hear, in no uncertain terms, that UNO finds the remark in question unacceptable. And UNO needs to demand a retraction and an apology.

There are many problems here, especially with President James B. Milliken of the University of Nebraska Omaha. Milliken’s greatest failure is his lack of professionalism. A President of a University works for students, faculty, and contributors. Milliken showed no interest in addressing any student complaint; it was imperative to discuss the UNO chapter of the Secular Student Alliance and the travesty of KFAB. When I made inquiry of Mr. Hoffman concerning the UNO Secular Student Alliance, asking for statistics on the organization, Mr. Hoffman responded as follows:

1. Female to male ration is 50/50. One of the core issues that atheists face is that there is a lack of female participation in the community at large; however in my student organization we were able to overcome this social obstacle by reaching out to the LGBT and women student organizations to pool membership during weekly meetings to increase female participation.

2. GPA. This information is not gathered by the group due to privacy concerns. I understand this information might have been useful in retrospect, but it honestly was more important during last semester that we encourage civic participation in community events and outreach and network with other student organizations campus wide.

3. Subject field of studies: a large portion of [the membership] field of study were in the Information Technology majors, Political Science majors, Education majors, and Sociology majors.

Much of the problem for fair-play and courtesy not extended by Voorhees or the radio station lays directly with University of Nebraska Omaha President James B. Milliken. The UNO President is a product of Nebraska education through the bachelor’s degree. Milliken took a BA in English (1979) University of Nebraska and a J.D. degree in law from New York University School of Law. He is married and has two sons and one daughter. He was a legislative aide to US Congressional Representative Virginia Dodd Smith (R-NE) from 1975-1991; she was born in Randolph, Iowa, of Methodist parents, and buried in Shenandoah, IA. Her main stand was for “a firm belief in God” and insisted that those who worked with her and for her affirm the same devotional allegiance. This anointing undoubtedly carried over to her aide and his later attitude on human rights, enshrining bigotry and pardoning bigots in the name of religion. The tragedy of Milliken is the fact that he is unfit to be a university president since he does not support the civil liberties and human rights of all students.

After a lynching in Omaha, the KKK burns the body of its victim.

The Nebraska KKK, that included both men and women of all age groups, was strong especially York County where most of the anger was against new immigrants and Roman Catholics, but those the citizens feared were atheists were treated the most harshly through the 1930s. In 1921, the first Nebraska Klavern opened in Omaha with an agenda of expanding the anti-black plank to include Roman Catholics and all immigrants and soon included “free-thinkers and atheists”. That year, the KKK claimed over 1,000 members in Nebraska, 45,000 the following year and 4 million nationally by 1925. A parade in York claimed 2,000 marchers, while local organizations formed in nearly a dozen cities statewide.

Robert Henderson (KKK member and Nebraska State Trooper) 2012

Today the Invisible Empire in Nebraska has a toll-free phone number, a website and even an official T-shirt. Nebraska’s KKK even has one of its own on the Nebraska State Troopers roster: Robert Henderson. Its special targets are Blacks, immigrants, “non-believers” and gay women whom, the KKK argues, can be cured of homosexuality by being raped.

The KKK continues to be a part of Nebraska with many being the backbone of the Tea Party movement. The KKK also continues to be strong in Iowa (around Boone and Ames), especially in Shenandoah, IA.

Mephistopheles head for Innocents Society (University of Nebraska Omaha)

While a student at the University of Nebraska, Milliken was a member of the semi-secret Society of Innocents founded on April 24, 1903, through the efforts of notable University of Nebraska alumni, including George Condra and Roscoe Pound (read: Knoll, Robert E. (1995). Prairie University: a History of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press: Alumni Association of the University of Nebraska). The secret society is composed of thirteen men and women, who hold secret rituals and rites in a secret meeting room, and are pledged to combat “evil” that includes “non-belief” and has as its symbol for evil a red-head Devil.

108 Union (University of Nebraska) Innocents Society

The “innocent” nature of the society’s members paled in 1892 when a bell was stolen from a Seward, Nebraska church in 1892 by members of Delta Tau Delta and Phi Delta Theta fraternities. The fraternities used the bell to award the winning football team at the end of the established Nebraska-Missouri football match. This practice stopped when Nebraska entered the Big Ten Conference and began to play against the University of Iowa. Some of the thirteen turned to piety, and a few organized to stand guard against those who would deny Jesus or god.

James B. Milliken, President of University of Nebraska at Omaha

Unfortunately for the multicultural environment of University of Nebraska at Omaha, James B. Milliken has held his post since August 2004. Coming from North Carolina, an arch-conservative state, Milliken holds faculty appointments in the College of Law (a graduate of New York University School of Law where he was a Root-Tilden Scholar. He practiced law on Wall Street before joining the University of Nebraska in 1988, and appears to be out-of-touch with any enacted civil rights legislation, starting with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title 29 § (subsection) 1604.11 that forbids sexual harassment including comments that are sexual in nature as Voorhees breathed–or any unwanted verbal assault), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the School of Public Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The Society of Innocents was named after the thirteen popes who took the name of Innocent at the time of their elevation to the papal throne. A look at the 13 Innocents who sat on the papal throne reveals more than one would suspect.

Innocent II (died 24 September 1143) was an unpopular choice and a second pope was declared on the same day, leading to a schism. This brought variations within doctrine and “purity of thought.” When Innocent II was able to sweep control of the church, to remove the remnants and evil consequences of the schism, Innocent II called the Tenth Ecumenical Council, the Second of the Lateran. Rigid adherence to Innocent’s interpretation was demanded (read: Denzinger, Heinrich Joseph Dominicus. Enchiridion symbolorum: definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum a conciliis oecumenicis et summis pontificibus emanarunt. (10th ed., Freiburg, Deutschland: Br. Herder, 1907; in Latin; there is a Greek edition (coordinated by Adolf Schönmetzer; Heinrich Denzinger) published Barcinone [u.a.] : Herder, 1967), p. 167; my preferred edition is published in Wirceburgi: Stahel, 1856).

Innocent III

Innocent III (died 1216), elevated the role and rule of Rome over that of the empire, proscribed truth, and declared for blind obedience to the faith. Questioning religion or any tenet was forbidden, disbelievers, apostates and heretics were punished, and those who attacked atheists were praised. Innocent is best remembered for convoking the Fourth Lateran Council, which he solemnly opened on November 15, 1215. It was by far the most important council of the Middle Ages. Not only did he push through a general crusade to the Holy Land, under papal pressure the council issued seventy reformatory decrees, the first of which was a creed (Firmiter credimus), against the Albigenses (the Synod of Orléans (1022) required those who did not follow official church teachings to suffer the extreme penalty of death) and Waldenses (early Protestants who still exist in Rome), in which the term “transubstantiation” received its first ecclesiastical sanction. By silencing dissent, the church in Rome reached its zenith. Weber, Nicholas. “Albigenses.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907.

Innocent IV (1180/1195-1254) commissioned Dominicans and Franciscans to add torture to the Inquisition

Innocent IV allowed many abuses, provided they served to strengthen his position against the Hohenstaufen. He was known for strict literalism, but did commission acts of charity, especially by recognizing the Poor Clares in 1253. A Short biography of Innocent IV was written by his physician, Nicolas de Corbia. It was published by Muratori, Lodovico Antonio (1723-1751). Rerum Italicarum Scriptores, Milano, Italia: Mediolani, ex typographia Societatis Palatinae. III.1, 589-593; in Latin.

Innocent V originally was Fra (Guido di Pietro) Angelico

Innocent V (died 1276) attempted to reconcile all conflicting interpretations of faith and religion, as the conflicting words of Jesus compared to the alleged writings of “Paul” who never met the Jesus of the New Testament at any time, created hostilities and led to bloodbaths. Innocent V was the first Dominican pope who sought to reconcile Guelphs and Ghibellines (the families of the mythical Romeo and Juliet) in Italy, restored peace between Pisa and Lucca, and mediated between Rudolph of Hapsburg and Charles of Anjou. He likewise endeavored to consolidate the union of the Greeks with Rome concluded at the Council of Lyons. Read more: Liber Pontificalis, ed. Duchesne (op. cit.). Vol. II (Paris, 1892), 457; Mothon, Joseph-Pierre (1896). Vie du bienheureux Innocent V (Roma, Italy: Impr. Vaticane; in French); Bourgeois, Thomas (1899). Le Bienheureux Innocent V (Paris, France: P. Lethielleux; in French)

Innocent VII died in 1406, and was a part of the Great Schism. Innocent VII taught jurisprudence at Perugia and Padua before going to Rome to become a tax collector for the church and later to enforce conformity within the religious community. While acclaimed for observable piety, Innocent VII was primarily recognized as an able manager of financial affairs. He had no control over his biological family, with his nephews killing several cardinals, an act he was unable to stop. A weak operator who made promises he did not keep, Innocent VII did nothing to stop the schism that he had originally (before being elected pope) promised to do even if it meant setting aside his tiara for harmony. He would not give up that crown. Vita Innocentii VII in Liber Pontificalis, ed. Duchesne, Louis, op. cit. Vol. II (Paris, 1892), 508-10, 531-3, 552-4; and in Muratori, Lodovico Antonio (1723-1751), Rerum Italicarum Scriptores ab anno 500 ad 1500, Vol. III (Milano, 1723-51), ii, 832 sq.; Brand, “‘Innocenzo VII ed il delitto di suo nipote Ludovico Migliorati” in Studi e Documenti di Storia e Diritto, XXI (Roma: Editore: Tipografia poliglotta della S. c. de prop. fide, 1900; in Italian); Bliemetzrieder, Franz Plazidus (1904), Das Generalkonzil im grossen abendlandischen Schisma (Paderborn: F. Schöningh; in German); Idem, Die Konzilsidee unter Innocenz VII. und König Ruprecht von der Pfalz in Studien und Mitteilungen aus dem Benediktiner und dem Cistercienser Orden, Vol. XXVII (Brünn, 1906, in German), pp 355-68

Innocent IX died in 1591. He was another lawyer turned cleric who misgoverned universities but ultimately was elected pope. He was named Patriarch of Jerusalem, a see far older than Rome, and became pope two months before his death. He prohibited the alienation of church property, and in a consistory held on 3 November, 1591, informed the cardinals of his intention of constituting a reserve fund to meet extraordinary expenses. His death stopped this from happening. Read: Ranke, Leopold von (1889) Die römischen Päpste, II (9th ed., Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, 1889), 150, tr. Fowler, II (London, 1901), p. 157.

Innocent X (c. 1650)

Innocent X died in 1655, yet another lawyer more concerned with appearance than assisting others, especially minorities who felt the wrath of the unfettered church, but became pope despite his numerous shortcomings. Innocent X’s policies were dictated by France in the person of the Queen’s lover and totally, carnally corrupt cardinal Mazarin. Innocent X was totally dependent on Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, the wife of his deceased brother, which Vatican gossip had the pope as one of her many lovers, but that is gossip–as the only

Cardinal Camillo Astalli (later known as “Red Beard”)

true “attachment with affection” was for a young boy. For a short time Donna Olimpia’s influence had to yield to that of the youthful and beautiful Camillo Astalli (1616-1663), a distant relative of the pope, whom Innocent raised to the cardinalate for various reasons, and while Innocent X did nothing scandalous with Maidalchini, there is doubt about his innocence with the young cardinal who was known as a “sexual rogue for a price”. When the youth became a problem in the Vatican, the pope lamented being deprived of Donna Olimpia and summoned her to return to the Vatican. At her instance Astalli was deprived of the purple and removed from the Vatican. Ciampi, Ignazio (1878). Innocenzo X Pamfili e la sua corte (Roma : Coi tipi dei Galeati in Imola; in Italian); Ranke, Ludwig von (1906), Die römischen Päpste, tr. Foster, Vol. II (London, 1906), pp. 321-9; Palatius, John (1688). Gesta Pontificum Romanorum, IV (Venedig: Parè, pp. 571-94, in Latin); and, Bargrave, John (). Pope Alexander the Seventh and the College of Cardinals edited by James Craigie Robertson ([Westminster, England]: Printed for the Camden Society, 1867; reprint; 2009); and, Herman, Eleanor (2008). Mistress of the Vatican : the true story of Olimpia Maidalchini, the secret female pope. New York, NY : William Morrow; in English.

Innocent XI (d. 1689)

Innocent XI died in 1689, and was known for most of his adult life for his devotion to duty. He studied law under the Jesuits at Como, and worked to feed the poor during a period of serious famine. He was rigid in his private life and when he was elected to the papacy, he turned all his efforts towards reducing the expenses of the Curia, passing strict ordinances against nepotism among the cardinals whom he expected to live as parsimonious as he did. He was not successful in that demand. During his pontificate Louis XIV posing as a zealot of Catholicism, revoked the Edict of Nantes (in 1685) and inaugurated a barbarously bloody persecution of the Protestants and “non-believers”. Louis XIV followed many of the messages penned by Martin Luther who called for the killing of Jews: “What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews? Since they live among us, we dare not tolerate their conduct, now that we are aware of their lying, reviling and blasphemies. If we do, we become sharers in their lies, cursing and blasphemy. ….

Title page of “On the Jews and their Lies” by Martin Luther (1543)

First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them. This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see that we are Christians, and do not condone or knowingly tolerate such public lying, cursing, and blaspheming of his Son and of his Christians. For whatever we tolerated in the past unknowingly, and I myself was unaware of it, will be pardoned by God. …. Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed. …. Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them. …. Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb. …. Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews” (Luther, Martin (1543). Von den Juden und Ihren Lügen (On the Jews and Their Lies), 65,000 words and was the antecedent for Adolf Hitler’s holocaust; first original edition in the private library of this author; it is in Luther’s Werke Vol. 47, pp. 137-306, in German). Innocent XI was no less intent on preserving the purity of the Roman Catholic faith and morals among the clergy and the faithful and insisted on a thorough education and an exemplary life of the clergy, passed strict ordinances concerning the modesty of dress among Roman ladies, put an end to the ever-increasing passion for gambling by suppressing the gambling houses at Rome, and forbade the questioning of the existence of god (both attacking secularists, agnostics, and atheists). At the same time the pontiff condemned sixty-eight Quietistic propositions (establishing psychical self-annihilation and a consequent absorption of the soul into the Divine Essence even during the present life) that were associated with Jansenism (none of its doctrines defy any Christian dogma nor standard Roman Catholicism, but were internalized without the need for a clergy—which most accepted). Read: Immich, Max (1990). Papst Innocenz XI, 1676-1689. (Berlin, Deutschland: Speyer & Peters; in German); Michaud, Eugène, Louis XIV et Innocent XI d’après les correspondances diplomatiques inédites du Ministère des affaires étrangères de France. (4 vols., Paris, France: G. Charpentier, 1882-83) written from Gallican standpoint; Gérin, Charlres (1876), Le Pape Innocent XI et la révolution anglaise de 1688 in Revue des questions historiques, XX (Paris, 1876); Idem, Le Pape Innocent XI et la Révocation de l’Edit de Nantes, ibidem, XXIV (1878); Idem, Le pape Innocent XI et l’Election de Cologne en 1688, ibidem, XXXIII (1883); Idem, Le Pape Innocent XI et le siège de Vienne en 1683, ibidem, XXXIX (1886); Fraknói, Vilmos; Innocentius XI. Papa.; Jekel, Peter(1902), Papst Innocenz XI. und Ungarns Befreiung von der Türkenherrschaft (Freiburg i.B. : Herder, in German) translated into German from the Hungarian by JEKEL (Freiburg, Deutschland: im Br Herder); Giussani, A. (1901). Il conclave di Innocenzo XI (Como, n.p.).

Innocent XII

Innocent XII died in the year 1700. Innocent XII was basically known for his acts of charity. Towards the poor, whom he called his nephews, he converted part of the Lateran into a hospital for the needy an act that led numerous cardinals and bishops to denounce him as “offending Our Lord Jesus the Christ” who many saw as a secret capitalist, erected numerous charitable and educational institutions, and completed the large court-house “Curia Innocenziana”. Today it serves as the Italian House of Commons (Camera dei Deputati). In many ways Innocent XII was like Jimmy Carter who rejected the wealthy and brought aspersion upon his honor while, at the same time, creating his habitat for humanity, arguing that all people deserved a home and a hearth. Innocent XII required of all of his attendants and those who followed him to perform corporal acts of kindness and mercy: to build homes for those who had no shelter, feed the hungry, and assist in ways of achieving peace–with his pontificate being the first in hundreds of years–nearly a millennium–where any pope followed the teachings of the Jesus of the New Testament. Read: Ranke, Leopold von, Die römischen Päpste, tr. Foster, History of the Popes, II (London, 1906), 425-7; Klopp, Onno. Hat der Papst Innocenz XII im Jahre 1700 dem Könige Karl II von Spanien gerathen, durch ein Testament den Herzog von Anjou zum Erben der spanischen Monarchie zu ernennen in Historisch-Politische Blätter, LXXXIII (Munich, 1879), 25-46 and 125-150.

Innocent XIII

Innocent XIII died in 1724. Noble born, the son of Carlo II, Duke of Poli, was a nepotist of the worse order, where his nepotism filled churches, abbeys, priories, convents, and courts. When he was enthroned as Innocent XIII the new pope elevated his brother to the cardinalate, but did not allow his revenues to exceed 12,000 scudi as had been stipulated by Pope Innocent XII. Few Roman Catholic leaders listened to him or his numerous protestations, but he was hailed by the poor and homeless for using church wealth to help a limited number of poor. He had no control over his cardinals, the majority of whom were licentious and vitriolic in their dealings with others, with many being great “whore-mongers” with women and children. Read: Mayer, Max Ernest von Ritter, Papstwahl Innocenz’ XIII (Wien: Wilhelm Braumüller); [NA] Leben Papst Innocentii XIII ([Cologne] 1724); Michaud, La fin de Clément XI et le commencement du pontificat d’Innocent XIII in Internationale theologische Zeitschrift, Vol. V, pp. 42-60, 304-331.

The one thing that the thirteen Innocents had in common was a basic sense of charity that was frequently eclipsed by their failure to aid human or civil rights. However, human and civil rights were not considered during the formative years of the church, and played no basic role, any more than they do under the German pope Josef Ratzinger (Benedict XVI).

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini of Milan (d. 2012)

What the popes did was attack non-believers and those who questioned ecclesiastical authority or clerical interpretations and erroneous translations, demanding a rigid belief in a god who did not change with time and a church that kept regressing back into the dark past of ignorance, rejection of science, and silencing dissent. This has continued throughout the history of the Roman Catholic church that still ignores the warning of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini of Milan. Before the prelate died on August 31, 2012, he gave his last interview. Printed in the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera [The Evening Courier], Martini said: “Our culture has aged, our churches are big and empty and the church bureaucracy rises up, our rituals and our cassocks are pompous. … A woman is abandoned by her husband and finds a new companion to look after her and her children. A second love succeeds. If this family is discriminated against, not just the mother will be cut off but also her children.” He sought justice for all, the embrace of the sciences, and ending of past rituals and pompous clothes for priests and prelates.

Why any public school would name a secret society (much alone tolerate one) to be named after nefarious and odiously opportunistic pontiffs is difficult to understand. However, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s maintenance of this secret society based on the thirteen popes says a lot about the psychology of today in Omaha: rigid, raw rejection of those who do not conform, the unwillingness of lackluster and craven administrators and leaders to treat all equal and see to the equality of all, and the quest for personal glory over the human and civil rights of marginalized people. UNO, in this instance, has exposed its darkest side and is obviously in tune with Voorhees and those who would cast aspersions on its students.

George Washington was among the most outspoken for religious freedom and the rejection of religion. In a letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island on August 18, 1790, George Washington wrote: “The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy — a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that [sic: who] another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support … May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants — while every one [sic] shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

The United States of America was never founded as a Christian nation. No single religion was given preference (Amendment 1). This was expressly declared in Treaty of Tripoli, ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1797. Article 11 states: “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility [sic], of Mussulmen [Muslims]; and, as the said States never have entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan [sic] nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

The tenth president, John Tyler, in an 1843 letter: “The United States have adventured upon a great and noble experiment, which is believed to have been hazarded in the absence of all previous precedent — that of total separation of Church and State. No religious establishment by law exists among us. The conscience is left free from all restraint and each is permitted to worship his Maker after his own judgment. The offices of the Government are open alike to all. No tithes are levied to support an established Hierarchy, nor is the fallible judgment of man set up as the sure and infallible creed of faith. The Mohammedan, if he will to come among us would have the privilege guaranteed to him by the constitution to worship according to the Koran; and the East Indian might erect a shrine to Brahma, if it so pleased him. Such is the spirit of toleration inculcated by our political Institutions.” (Robert Seager II (1963). And Tyler too: A Biography of John and Julia Gardiner Tyler, Norwalk, CT: Easton Press, p. 109).

Ignoring America’s past history and the laws of the USA, Voorhees sounded out against those without a belief structure, casting aspersion on atheists as only being “hot” (implying easy sexual targets) without rational capacities. This rank denigration of others shows the true psychology of the radio personality to be marginal (ref. Klein, Kristen M.; Apple, Kevin J.; Kahn, Arnold S. (2011). “Attributions of blame and responsibility in sexual harassment: Reexamining [sic] a psychological model.” doi: 10.1007/s10979-009-9216-6. Law and Human Behavior, Vol 35(2), April, 92-103; Leskinen, Emily A.; Cortina, Lilia M.; Kabat, Dana B. (2011). “Gender harassment: Broadening our understanding of sex-based harassment at work.” doi: 10.1007/s10979-010-9241-5, Law and Human Behavior, Vol 35(1), February, 25-39; Krings, Franciska; Facchin, Stéphanie (2009). “Organizational justice and men’s likelihood to sexually harass: The moderating role of sexism and personality.” doi: 10.1037/a0013391Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 94(2), March, 501-510), and for the University of Nebraska at Omaha to be led by a faulty president who does nothing to protect and support his students (ref. Leonard, H. Skipton; Goff, Maynard (2003). “Leadership development as an intervention for organizational transformation: A case study.” doi: 10.1037/1061-4087.55.1.58. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, Vol 55(1), 58-67; Townsend, Joellyn; Phillips, James S.; Elkins, Teri J. (2000). “Employee retaliation: The neglected consequence of poor leader–member exchange relations.” doi: 10.1037/1076-8998.5.4.457, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol 5(4), October, 457-463; Michener, H. Andrew; Tausig, Mark (1971). “Usurpation and perceived support as determinants of the endorsement accorded formal leaders.” doi: 10.1037/h0030998, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 18(3), June, 364-372), it is impossible to say more than the UNO administrative soundness is lacking and pathetic. Neither Voorhees nor Milliken have anything in common with the founding fathers of the USA but instead are as vile and full of feigned fraternity as Pat Robertson and Michelle Bachmann in their drive to drive out democracy and install a theocratic state based on dominionism. Dominionism is as bad as is developing under the dictatorial reign of terror of Vladimir Putin and Patriarch of Moscow Kirill whose shrill “there is an attack on established values and the family” matches the outcry of racists who hide behind the robes of the new KKK and neo-Nazi parties in the USA who bear the name of the Tea Party.

4 responses to “UNO Secular Student Alliance and Scott Voorhees attack on women and love of “fellow racists and extremists””

Please send it to the UNO Administration with my compliments. The President of UNO may be interested to know that I will be releasing an essay on his involvement in the Thirteen and his secret religious thoughts on human rights.